Merry Christmas 2010

'Twas the night before Christmas
in the Anderson home
2010 comes to an end
and so many changes galore.

Some ups and some downs
a few lessons and glories,
we've been crazy busy
with our sweet family story.

Leah is 3, started preschool this year.
She loves jewelery and shoes, sparkles and pink,
anything princess and girly
she's a glamour girl with a smidgen of 'tude.

Chasing Dillan outside,
taking care of her dolls,
she's tough and cuddly
chewing gum all the day long.

Dillan is 5, a big Kindergarten boy
at the top of his class, he's the King of Sight Words.
He's made many new friends, loves learning and play;
school's been exciting each and every day.

He shines on the soccer turf,
scoring goal after goal,
he's quick and aggressive
not afraid to play tough
Fun to watch as he learns
how to hate how to lose.

Kim stays busy keeping the family on task:
Everyone clean, fed, healthy and happy
and of course well-behaved.
Keeping Primary organized when she's a second to spare,
there's never enough time to do it all!
Preparing for Baby #3 just after the new year
having faith he'll be healthy and all will be well.
It's been a long wait and test of faith with many prayers
& blessings along the way.

Chris remains at Best Buy learning patience and faith
hoping for a new career using his new MBA.
Applications and interviews, staying positive and sure
that there are good things ahead and all will be well.
Working with the missionaries and members to share,
he's seen many baptisms, serving faithfully and learned
that the Lord performs miracles through any servant he calls.

Two-thousand and ten was our year to learn hope
and have faith in our Father in Heaven.
We are so richly blessed
every day, every year
and we know that He loves us
and will always be there.

We are grateful for family & friends
with unconditional love
and shining examples of choosing the right.
From our family to yours:
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to all
and to all a good night!

Christmas Program

The entire Kindergarten had their Christmas Program at school.
Dillan had practiced the songs a lot at home, and it showed. Two different moms told me how impressed they were with how well he sang. He must get that from Daddy!



Mrs Iverson said that he wanted to be in the highest back row spot whenever they practiced.
At least it made it easy to watch him.



After the program, everyone returned to their classrooms to put on their "Polar Express" box cars.
Dillan had a lot of fun decorating his box.
The instructions were very specific as to the size of the box and gave different suggestions as to how to decorate it. It was also stressed that the children needed to be involved as much as possible, not just the parents.
Dillan chose 3 different colors of wrapping paper, and wanted silver for the front of his car. We used aluminum foil. We found some red garland and battery-powered lights for cheap.
It took a lot of work, but he looked good!



They formed a huge long train and went all over the school, in and out of classrooms. Parents followed, taking pictures. Chris was a big help with some of the kids who couldn't hardly hold their boxes up or whose decorations were falling off. Those boxes needed to look good, but also last the long journey.

It was fun to see all the different boxes, each one so different. Of course, there were some that were obviously done by the parents without much help from the child.
After a little while, Leah decided to join the train, holding Dillan's hand. She loved it. She couldn't take her eyes off one of Dillan's classmates' boxes. It was pink, with a tower, flowers everywhere, and Rapunzel's picture in the window. Pretty good for a 5-year-old.



Mrs Iverson thought it was so cute that Leah joined in the group, like one of the kids.
At the end of the train ride, they returned to the Kindergarten playground where Santa was waiting. Somehow Leah missed out on grabbing a candy cane from Santa, so Dillan gave his to her, on his own, without a second thought. It was so sweet.



Kindergarten is so much fun at Christmas!!!

Christmas Cookies

We had fun decorating cookies with Grandma & Papa. Lots of cookies, lots of sprinkles, frosting, and lots and lots of sugar bugs.

Since Dillan visited the dentist last month, he's been a tad obsessed with the amount of sugar bugs he eats.

"Mom, are there sugar bugs in milk?"

"Mom, I just want water and ice because I don't want sugar bugs."

I'm proud of him for being contientious about what he's eating and wanting to take care of his teeth, and thankfully he's not 100% against sugar bugs, because he ate some of his decorated cookies. He's gotten a lot of compliments on his smile, to which Daddy takes all the credit.

Of course, Mommy has been eating A LOT of sugar bugs lately (blame the baby in the tummy) and Dillan is right there to remind me of all the sugar bugs I eat.

Lion's Pride!

Dillan was awarded "Pride of the Lions" for his class today. Chris, Leah and I were able to go to the assembly to see him honored in front of the school. His teacher told me Thursday, and reminded me to keep it a secret.

We didn't tell him we were going to be there, but he finally spotted us anyway. We wondered if he figured it out, but I don't think he did.



His name was read, he got a sticker and a magnet for mom and dad to hang proudly on the fridge. Then he lined up with the other honored students. After the assembly, Mrs Iverson invited us back to the classroom to see the rest of the presentation. He lead the class back and got to sit on a big stool in front of everyone.



Then Mrs Iverson led the class in a cheer and had everyone in the class say why they thought Dillan was the Lion's Pride. It was cute to hear some of their responses. "Because he doesn't scribble" "Because he doesn't throw wood chips at other kids." She then pulled out a certificate that had listed her reasons for selecting him. You were chosen as the Pride of the Lions because, you follow directions. You complete your work on time. And you are working hard to be a good writer. You are a good citizen in Room 3.



She then explained what he would get to do for the week. Be the line leader, take the attendance to the office everyday, sit on the big stool in front of the class during reading time, all kinds of fun stuff.



We're so proud of you Dillan!

Tenn.

The kids and I were fortunate to spend Thanksgiving break in Tennessee! It was exciting getting ready, the kids couldn't wait to go on an airplane and see their cousins Roxy, Dono, and JoJo.







We had so much fun playing and visiting and so many things to do together, the time went by way too fast. Tangled, ear piercings, swings, McDonalds, walks, pictures, dance battles, Black Friday shopping, dress up, sword fights, delicious Thanksgiving feast, lots of treats and playtime.







Someday we'll all live close together and the fun will never have to end!



We miss you guys and can't wait till next time!

Changing Seasons

And soccer's over.
We had a really fun season. No, it wasn't close in our own backyard, but we've concluded it was worth a little extra drive. We definitely lucked out with our coach. He was great. He had the perfect temperament to coach, and Dillan responded and respected him. Plus he had a lot to teach the players, things that I didn't think 5-year-olds were capable of learning!



They proved me wrong. Dillan did great with scoring goals, dribbling, and playing defense. We're a little sad to see the season over, but the coach asked if we'd play in the springtime as he'd like to coach again and wants Dillan on the team. So we'll just all be together again! Should be fun.

But we're getting ready for Christmas around here. Since we'll be gone to Tennessee for Thanksgiving, we decided to get everything ready before we left.



We've been decorating, making lists, making plans, and we're getting ready. It's a lot of fun to see how excited the kids are.



Dillan asked, "How old is Jesus going to be on His birthday?" I told him since Jesus doesn't live on the earth, he doesn't get older. That just disappointed him, since he's hoping to live to be infinity-his new favorite number. He wants to be the first in his class to count to infinity.

Speaking of, we had his parent/teacher conference this week. His teacher said he's in the top 5 in his class. Then she said he's at the top. She tested him on 2nd and 3rd trimester skills, and he's already mastered some. She asked my permission to start him on 1st grade site words, since he's finished the 35 for Kinder. He's just got to work on his penmanship and writing. And writing his last name, which is apparently long. We'll just keep working but we are so proud of our little smarty pants Cub!

Moments with Dillan

The Kindergarten classes brought home the Thanksgiving Turkey to disguise for Thanksgiving dinner and not get eaten.
Dillan and I brainstormed a few ideas. We were set on dressing up the turkey like Santa Claus. Of course, Mommy with extremely forgetful brain cells completely forgot about the project after a few days. It was Dillan who, the night before the due date, brought up the turkey project!
Oh NO!
Then he told me that he had talked with some friends at school about doing Santa and they wanted to do the same. So naturally that idea was dissed.
After more thinking, Dillan chose Batman. Great. Sunday night scrounging around for how to pull of a Batman turkey.
Thankfully I found some paper in just the right colors. And it worked.
Yes, I helped with the project. I wanted Dillan to be proud of it. It reminded me of years ago when my dad stayed up late helping me finish a project for school. No, I don't claim to have any kind of artistic talent, but I was fairly happy with the finished project.
I looked online after Dillan went to school and found some pictures of classes who did the same project. I saw Santa, more than once, and a lot of snowmen. Three cotton balls pasted over the turkey. Draw-in some eyes, a carrot nose and you're done. I'm still proud of ours.


Before


After

And another recent moment...

Dillan: Mom, when's the baby gonna get here?

Mom: Just a few more months.

Dillan: So am I gonna be 6 when the baby is born?

Mom: No, you will still be 5. It will be after Christmas.

Dillan: (pondering)...AFTER Christmas???

Mom: Yup.

Dillan: (huge mischievous grin) So the baby won't get any presents!!!

Oh to have the worries of a 5-year-old!

So you're turning 31? Here is a list of 31 things that I love about you.

So here they are in no particular order....

1. The fact that you are willing to call me out when I am acting like a jerk.
2. The way that you love me no matter how I am acting.
3. Seeing the way that you care for our children.
4. The unbelievable patience in which you raise all of us.
5. You always insist that your car is clean.
6. How proud she is of Dillan when he plays hard in soccer.
7. Seeing her take time to help Dillan with his homework.
8. She keeps me organized when I am ready to crack.
9. She reminds me about things that I would normally forget about.
10. Her weekly list for cleaning things around the house.
11. The passion with which she fills her calling in the primary.
12. Memorizing every child's name in the primary, normally before she meets their parents.
13. Her smile, especially when she is laughing hysterically.
14. Her cute figure, oh yes!
15. The way that her pregnancy really makes her shine.
16. Her willingness to take on tasks, even when she is busy.
17. Her stubby little legs. (I like to call them pistons)
18. Her competitive nature, she hates to lose.
19. Her selflessness, always thinking about others before herself.
20. Her amazing faith, it has helped me to stay on the right path more than once.
21. Seeing her read stories to the kids before they go to bed.
22. Laying in bed next to Leah every night until she falls asleep.
23. The fact that I can talk to her about anything, she really is my perfect match.
24. Her willingness to let me watch every Jazz game, and then putting up with me when they lose.
25. I love it when she tries to sing, it is soooo adorable.
26. I love the way that she fits into my arms when I hug her, just the right size.
27. I love seeing the relationship that she has with her family, they are all very close.
28. Her willingness to make dinner for the family, even when she is not feeling well.
29. She always keeps our home clean and loves to welcome people into it.
30. I love her testimony, she is the perfect example of how a mother should be.
31. I love the fact that she was willing to take a chance on me. I will eternally be grateful for her love and devotion to our marriage. I look forward to an eternity of happiness and love from the one that brings me the greatest happiness of all. Je t'aimerais a jamais. Gros Bisous!

Weekend

Costumes, Candy, treats from Grandma and Papa = our weekend.

We loved having Grandma Donna and Papa Bob here with us. They wanted to have some Halloween fun with us and even dressed up!



If you needed proof as to why we call Leah "Grandma's Girl," you'd only need a few minutes. She followed Grandma EVERYWHERE! In the mornings, she watched Grandma do her hair and makeup, just fascinated. Then Grandma would fix up Leah. She wanted to sit by her, hold her hand, do everything that Grandma did. Such a girl's girl!



They came with us to the trunk-r-treat/chili cook-off and Grandma made a delicious pot of chili! It was gone the next day, we couldn't get enough!

It was such a fun weekend, and of course too short a visit!

Halloween

This year, after finally making up our minds and not being able to look back last minute, we have Super Mario and Cinderella.
Both were able to wear their costumes to school, and both looked great. Even though Mario seems to be an EXtremely popular choice at Dillan's school, he was the only one I saw wearing his mustache. Whoever saw a Mario without a mustache?



Daddy was supposed to be Luigi, but he of course changed his mind.

I was telling Chris that I can almost remember every costume I wore in Elementary and Jr High. Some of them my mother still has. He said he'd just throw together whatever he could. Basic and generic.
I love seeing all the different costumes, admiring the homemade ones. It's fun to dress up.



We're ready! Bring on the candy!
Should be a fun weekend!

Field Trip!

Oh Happy Day!
Dillan has been waiting for this day since the first week of school, when his teacher announced they would be going on a field trip to Bates Nut Farm.



Best part? He got to ride a BUS! Finally.
2nd Best? Daddy got to go too!!!



He was up extra early, reminding me that he had to eat a good breakfast and get to school early to catch the bus.



They came home and showed off their prize pumpkins they chose.
Dillan said he loved the hay ride pulled by the tractor.
Daddy took a bunch of pictures of Dillan with his buddies.
I know they had a great day!

Daddy Time!

Whenever Daddy is home, the kids just can't get enough. So since Dillan was at school, Leah had Daddy all to herself!
First step was to pick up "the Belle movie" (Beauty & the Beast). With Disney coupon in tow, we headed to the store. It was the perfect cool autumn day to cuddle up in a blanket with a new movie.
Once she saw Belle in her pretty dress, she ran to her room to put a princess dress on. She then decided she wants to be Belle for Halloween.
Soon she wanted to paint her toenails and fingernails. She got out everything she could reach on her own and set up her pedicure station. When she had finished, she wanted to paint Daddy's. He agreed to have his toes painted, she didn't even have to beg! With a little help from Mommy, Daddy has beautiful bright blue toes that he's not afraid to show off!

FV Airport & Oak Glen

Dillan brought home a flier showing a free open house at the airport. He was so excited, stuck it right on the fridge and couldn't wait to tell Papa about it.



He knows Papa loves airplanes too. So we braved the heat and walked around a little. Dillan's favorite was the huge rescue helicopter. Papa explained how the big hose takes water from a lake and sprays it onto the fire.



Thankfully the show wasn't terribly huge so we were able to see the planes and choppers, ride a couple kiddie rides and get out quickly back home to the AC before we melted.

I guess it was a couple years ago, with the season change that I was dreaming of the east coast and all the colors of the leaves, cooler weather, pumpkin patches and apple orchards. I mentioned to my parents how I wanted to be there this time of year. Their response, "Why don't you just go to Oak Glen?" Oak WHAT???

We went and LOVED it! How is it that I was never taken to this place when I was younger?



It's really not that far, we didn't even get halfway through Peter Pan before we arrived. Two years ago we picked apples and looked at the huge pumpkins. Last year we missed all the apples. This year we were determined not to miss the apples again, but the pumpkins were not quite ready. We did see the goats and horses. Leah even got brave enough to feed some alfalfa to one straight out of her hand. She's the animal lover, just like Daddy.



It's become a fun fall time tradition. Now for conference weekend we get to make some caramel apples!

Another sweet, beautiful baby...

We are so excited for our new addition, and even more excited that he is healthy, growing, and everything is looking good.
Even I, who can only see a head and spinal cord when I look at an ultrasound could see that it was a boy! "Hey! I see it!" Thanks for the moment of immodesty baby.
In my quest to not worry so much about the baby and replace faith with fear, I feel that this pregnancy is going sooooo slow! Dr B assured me that the rest of the pregnancy would go fast. He also promised me something that I haven't been told I would experience the rest of this pregnancy: pain. Apparently the baby is sitting right on my spine. I guess it's the first time??? I remember some sciatic pain with Dillan, briefly, but I was never told to expect it!

Leah's reaction: Yeah, Dillan's a boy.
Dillan's reaction: That's the surprise??? Later: OK, I got a good name for the baby. Steven. Or Georgie.

So hopefully now I can relax the rest of the pregnancy, enjoy the cooler weather, and then relish in the holidays. Bring on the pumpkin!

Go Pythons!

Soccer is back. I don't even have to coax Dillan to get ready for practice. He's into it!
He has a great coach, and for the first time gets to play with a couple girls on his team!
It's new, and different. Sometimes he seems a little timid around them.




Saturday was his first game. He scored 4 goals. He told me later that he was very proud of himself for scoring 4 goals. Then he said that the coach told him he was proud of him for stopping the other team from scoring goals. He definitely shines as a defender.



After each goal scored by the team, the coach has all the players high-five each other. Even if you're resting on the sideline. I love it.
They are like soldiers in how they listen to him. Nothing like my coaching experience.
It's so fun to watch.

GO PYTHONS!

Three.

My name is Leah. My birthday is September twelf. I'm gonna be free!

I can't believe our little girl is 3. She has grown up way too fast. I blame it on her spunky little personality that is determined to do everything her big brother does. That's just the way she does it. Plus she simply will NOT be told to do otherwise.



Started out with red hair. Then no hair. Now it's a few different shades of blond, gold, and brown. Who knows what it's gonna do?

Leah loves all things princess, pretty dresses, fancy shoes, nail polish, necklaces.

She takes good care of her babies and her big brother.

Her newly-found love is school and her two teachers.

She talks about playing soccer, but we'll see.

She's sassy, stubborn, and sweet all rolled into a little ball of love.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEELOU!

Soccer BOY!

And it's that time again.



Dillan is happy to have such a busy schedule.
We are trying out a new league, one we anticipate is more "serious" than the other.
So far we are greatly impressed with his coach and the fundamentals he is teaching the kids. He focuses on individual skills and ball touches, something Dillan has never really had before. Once the games start, it will be lots of fun to watch.



The best part is that I don't have to push him to go to practices or even get ready. He likes to go.
Leah even says she is playing. Well, she thinks she is. Maybe someday.